Liberty should teach geometry before algebra one

By Bennett Monson

Liberty teaching Algebra 1 before Geometry is a simple change that could benefit Liberty and its students.

Geometry between Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 could lead to problems in the Algebra 2 classroom. As mentioned before, Geometry does not use the advanced algebra skills you gain in Algebra 1, students could forget the content of Algebra 1. This could make Algebra 2 difficult. Some students take Geometry over the summer to avoid breaking up the Algebra. If students are willing to do geometry over the summer then the school might as well make the change.

Geometry also does not require advanced Algebra skills and putting it in between Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 doesn't make logical sense. Students are already coming into high school with basic algebra skills from 8th grade, these skills suffice for the needs of Geometry. 

Not only do middle school algebra skills suffice but adding on to those skills before taking Geometry could lead to other problems. If you are used to doing complex algebra when entering geometry you may overcomplicate the problem leading to unnecessary confusion.

Along with that, it is already hard to remember the content of a class over the summer and putting Geometry in between the Algebras we have a lot of time to forget the things in Algebra 1 that we will need in Algebra 2.

Not only this but Geometry, in my opinion, is a generally easier class then Algebra 1. Geometry as a concept is the study of shapes, this means that visualising and understanding problems is easier then something abstract like algebra. This is another reason why Geometry is a popular course to take over the summer.

Another consequence of Geometry’s concept being more physical is that students can use real world objects to help visualize. Which is an important skill to know in order to understand math and taking Geometry before Algebra allows students to have visualization skills before taking the more abstract class of Algebra.

It isn't only the concept that is easier to understand but also the process to solve problems is also simpler. While algebra is a lot of logic and can be difficult to understand, Geometry is a set of given rules and formulas that take the logic and most of the difficulty away. All the student needs to do is identify what kind of problem they are solving.

Some will argue that the same problem of forgetting content would occur if we broke up middle school Algebra and highschool Algebra but that is simply not true. Geometry has just enough algebra to keep middle school skills fresh and in some cases improve previous skills. Even if a student forgot middle school Algebra, it would be a lot easier to relearn middle school algebra rather than high school Algebra.

To conclude, putting geometry before algebra would not only make logical sense but it would benefit students immensely. If Liberty makes this change sooner rather than later, then more students and teachers will benefit.